Device for preventing



(No Model.)

v W-.. BUL V DEVIGE FOR PREVENTING INGRUIVSTATIONIN STEAM BOILERS. No. 383,795 Patented May 29,1888

w ll I w W" 1 71 eggs es UNITED STATES WlLLIAM B. BUliL, 0

PAT NT fission F QUINCY, ILLINOIUS.

' DEVICE FORPREVENTING iNCRQSTAIION 1N STEAM-B 0lLR$.. .-s.

SPECIPiICATION forming part Of Letters Patent Nut-383.795, dated May 29,1888.

Application filed January 19, 1886. Renewed April 5, 188?. Serial No.269J16. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B'. BULL, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and use- 5 ful Improvement in Devices for Preventing Incrnstation in Steam-Boilers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and" exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a- "ro part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of, reference marked thereon.

- He'retofore' numerous attempts have been made to preventthe deposition upon the inside of steam-boilers of the lime and other ma- :5 teri'als held in solution in the water used in making the steam, which forms a scale or crust therein and is extremely troublesome 'ann'anneying;" ramtingtneproperwnusue 'cessful'operation-of the boiler. Some of the 20 attempts to remedy this incrustation have resulted in the invention of devices, in some of which the boiler itself is placed in an electric circuit, and in others an electro-magnet having a bar for a core, with one pole onlyin contact 2 5 with the boiler-shell, is employed, the idea being that the whole boiler-shell will be magnet ized by this contact with the magnet, whilein reality the only effect from the magnet will be in close proximity to this pole, the greater '0 port-ion of the boilernot being aflected in the 7 least. My invention, however, has for its object to prevent this incrustation on the entire innersurface of the boiler and fines by placing the whole mass, or the greater part t'iereof, 5 between the poles, and hence within the field of force of the magnet; and it furtherconsists in. changing the polarity of this magnet-constantly orat intervals, or in breaking the circuit entirely, or in producinga rise and fall of 4,0 tension-"in the 2cu'm-xent,orin manipulating the --;cnrrent-i-mymannerm-asto varythe condi- "titm o ..;the1-niagnet, all as I vwill nogw' proceed Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts;

A represents the boiler, and B the magnetcore, consisting of a long piece of iron or steel, preferably iron pipe, having its ends'in contact with the ends of the boiler, .and having near each end coils G O in circuit with the. generator of electricity D, located at any snitable point. It will be seen that the current from the generator will energize the core B and transform its two ends into north and south poles, respectively, and as they are in contact with the opposite ends of the boileps'hell, the latter'will be magnetized, and, asit is situatedentirel y within the field of force, is subjected to the maximum effect. v

The theory on which my inventionand others ofthis clas'saresnpposedto' operate is,that by the magnetization of the boiler-shell its molecules are moved or wrenched from their normal position relative to each other, and while in this changed position the scale will not be deposited. Acting upon this theory that the position of the molecules is changed when the shell is magnetized, I employ a generator delivering an interrupted current, or insert in the circuit with the generatorand magnetcoilsaoircuit-breaker, E, the function of which is to break the circuit and create arise and fall of tension therein, so that if the moleculesof the boiler-mass have a normal position and by magnetization this position is changed, it follows that a rapid making and breaking of the circuit would tend to keep them in motion and more efi'ectua-lly prevent any deposit from the water. In order to provide for a greater movement or change of position of the mole cules, a generator producing an alternating current, or a pole changer, may be employed in place 'ot the circuit-breaker, so theridgwillz bethree' positions which they-can assume-one when the current is broken, another whena to describea l l p 4 O In. the drawings, Figure 1 represents a view, 5 of'a horizontal steam-boiler,sh0wing the application' of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 isa ,view showing its application to an upright boiler and a circuit-breakeror pole-changer interposed in the magnet-circuit. Fig.3-is a 50 Zview showing the. applieation of my invention and a. third when-a negative current is passing. In Fig. 3 I have shown an arrangement whereby my invention can be applied to albat tery of two or more boilers, F representing the positive current is paming through the coils,

mud-drums of the boilers, and the ends-of the magnet being applied to these, the whole mass of both boilers of the battery is within the-field to abattery of two boilers.

v of force of the magnet.

asnew- 1. The combination with a; steam-boiler, of

I have found by practical experiment thatwithin certain limits the length of the yoke connecting the two magnets may be greatly increased withont impniring the effectiveness of the operation of the magnet, so that three, or even more, boilers-may be acted nponby the same magnet with good results. Having thus describedmyinvention, claim a device for preventing incrnstation therein, consisting of an electric generator, an electromagnetiin circuit therewith, having its poles in contact-with said boiler, and a' device in said circuit for varying the current i'rom the generator, substantially as described.

magnet in circuit therewith and having its .20] poles in contact with the .boiler at'pointsi-""' widely-separated, so as to include thefrn ass of the boilerbetweenthem, and a devieefotg very:

ing the current in said circuit; substantially as described.

WILLIAM B'. BULL.

' Witnesses:

EDWARD PRrNc s; RICHARD M. SMITH. 

